Fuse switch



y 1935- L. P. sou. ET AL 2,000,876

FUSE SWITCH I Filed Nov. 10, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 z? 'FIGZ. 49

Patented May 7, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FUSE SWITCH poration of Missouri Application November 10, 1934, Serial No. 752,430

Claims.

This invention relates to fuse switches, and with regard to certain more specific features, to fuse switches adapted to open a circuit by melting out a. fuse link in a cartridge and by moving 5 the cartridge out of its circuit-closing pasition.

This invention is an improvement upon the construction shown in United States Patent 975,- 431, issued to R. P. Jackson, for Electric circuit interrupter, patented November 15, 1910; and

upon our United States Patent 1,993,083, dated March 15, 1935 for Fuse switch.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of means for definitely removing the fragmentary end of a blown link from the end of a cartridge; the provision of apparatus of the class described wherein the motion for effecting said removal is longitudinal with respect to the cartridge and not lateral thereof; the provision of apparatus of this class which shall have an opening at the upper end as well as at the lower end, permitting the escape of excess explosive gases, but which does not present said opening to the passage of rain, snow, sleet or the like, due to the weather conditions; and the provision of apparatus ofthe class described which is simple in constructioii and operation. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. p

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter dwcribed, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a fused cartridge in operating position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail section, taken on line'3-3 of F1:-

Fig. 4 is a side elevation on a reduced scale, showing an intermediate function of the apparatus when the fuse blows; and,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 4

but showing a final position of parts after blowing of the fuse link.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there are shown at numerals l insulator supports for upper and lower line terminals 3 and 5 respectively.

The lower line terminal 5 is provided with oppositely located sockets I for receiving gudg'eons 9, the latter being attached to a terminal engag ing element I I which surrounds and is held to an insulating cartridge l3. As shown in our said patent, opposite gudgeons and their respective sockets are of different sizes to ensure proper application of the cartridge. The terminal engaging element ii is amxed to the cartridge I3 at a distance spaced from its lower end. The lower 10 end is provided with a metallic ring l5 which has an edge I! about which a fuse link I! may be bent. Thering l5 alsohasgudgeons l6 servingasstops for engaging suitable inner projections l3 from the line terminals 5 when the cartridge swings down to the position of Fig. 5 in the manner to be described.

A ring 2| (by means of which the cartridge may be held with a line tool for application of the gudgeons l to the sockets 1) is fastened to the terminal engaging element H. Said terminal engaging element l'i also carries a screw clamp 23 by means of which said fuse link I! may be fastened to, and elech'ically engaged with, the terminal engaging element Ii.

The upper line terminal 3 has pivoted thereto at 25 an arm 21, the latter comprising two spring cantilever elemmts 23. The elements 23 are held in sockets 3| and extend outwardly to form holding bights 33. Said arms 23 are normallv held downwardly by means of a tension spring 35 which reacts from the line terminal 3 and a clamp 31 fastened to said arms 29. Downward motion of the arm 29 is limited by stop 39 before the tension in the spring 35 is exhausted.

The upper end of the cartridge I3 is provided with a terminal engaging element assembly comprising a fixed ring member 4| clamped to the cartridge l3. Thering hasanextensioneye 43 for engagement by a line tool.

Pivoted to a right-angular extension 45 of the ring clamp I is a lever 41 carrying oppositely disposed gudgeons I! which are cooperable with the bights 33. The opposite end of the lever v 41 is formed as a two-tined fork 5| (Fig. 3). The arms of the fork 5i have pivoted thereto connecting links 53 which reach upwardly and are each pivoted to a cap 55.

The cap 55 carries a sockets! for accommodat ingtheheadil ofthefuselink l9. Theheadis held in the socket by a cap screw 61. The body portion of the link passes through an opening ii in the base of the socket 51 and into the cartridge l3. Below the socket 51 is formed a domelikeportion 63spacedfromtheendofthecar- 55 tridge I 3. Radial webs 85 within the dome-like portion 63 rest on the end of the cartridge H but permit a substantial communicating opening between the bore of the cartridge and the outside thereof.

The fuse link l9 may be of any of the usual types. Herein is shown one in which there is a relatively stiff upper portion 69, an intermediate reduced portion H which comprises the fusible element and a relatively long downwardly extending portion '13. It will be understood that although the portion 13 is of approximately the same diameter of portion 69, nevertheless it is more flexible than the portion 69 because of its length. The short length of relatively stiff material 69 presents a problem which was not solved in said Jackson patent.

If, in the Jackson patent any attempt be made to draw out the upper end of a stiff fuse link after the link blows, the direction of withdrawal being lateral, the upper relatively stiff portion 89 of the fuse link will stick in the end of the cartridge I 3 and prevent successful operation. This difficulty is herein overcome by the use of the above-described linkage connecting the member 41 with the fuse link per se, wherein the motions of the pin ends 52 of the forked lever 4'! are substantially parallel to the length of the fuse cartridge. 4

The operation of the device is as follows:

The cartridge being considered as removed from the line terminals the cap 67 is unscrewed and a fuse link is fed through the opening H. The head 59 is then held down in the socket 51 by screwing on the cap screw 6?.

The above operation of course feeds the links 19 through the cartridge tube 83. t the lower end of the tube, the link I9 is bent into a hairpin turn and looped into position to be clamped by means of the screw clamp 23.

In so clamping the link, the cap 55 is pulled down so that the radial flanges 65 rest upon the upper open end of the cartridge M. This causes the lever 41 to be rotated clockwise and causes the gudgeons 49 to be raised to their maximum upward position (see Fig. 1).

Next, the loaded cartridge has its gudgeons 9 applied to the pockets 7 and the same is rotated counter-clockwise into the position shown in Fig. 1, wherein the gudgeons 43 (held rigidly by the fuse link) spring into the bights 33. The tension in spring 35 normally forces the arm 29 downwardly so that a depressing force is placed upon the gudgeons 49. This force tends to rotate the lever 41 counterclockwise, thereby transmitting through the links 53 a force to the cap 55 and thus somewhat tensioning the fuse link 13 but not lifting the flanges 55 from the end of the tube l3.

When an overload or short circuit occurs, the fuse link blows at the reduced portion H, thus eliminating the resistance to counterclockwise rotation of the arm 41. The arm then takes up the position shown in Fig. 4.

As illustrated, the articulation effected by the use of the links 53, and the endwise (as distinguished from lateral) motion of the lever ends 52, permits the relatively stiff portion 69 of the fuse link to be drawn directly outwardly from the end of the cartridge l3. It will be seen that in its normal position (Fig. 1) the lever 41 extends approximately at right angles to the. tube I3. In the Jackson patent the portion of the am used for withdrawing the fuse link is substantially parallel to the tube. Herein the motion of the ends 52 is longitudinal of the cartridge; in Jackson it is normal to the cartridge.

From the Fig. 4 position, in which the arms are depressed to their maximum extent, the cartridge is free to fall to the position of Fig. 5, the same being taken out of position in the electrical circuit. It may be removed from this position and reloaded for reapplication.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. In a fuse switch, line terminals, one of which has socket means and the other of which has movable and resilient detent means extending therefrom, a cartridge comprising a lower terminal engaging element adapted to cooperate with said socket means, said cartridge comprising a tube, a fuse link attached to said terminal engaging element and passing through said tube, an upper terminal engaging element on the tube, said upper terminal engaging element comprising a member affixed to the tube, a lever pivoted to said fixed member, means on one end of the lever engageable with said detent means, the other end of said lever swinging in an are directed substantially along the axis of said tube, a cap at the upper end of said tube, means for attaching the fuse link to said cap, and link means pivoted to said other end of said lever and to said cap and adapted to transmit the longitudinal motion of the end of the lever along the tube to said cap.

2. In apparatus characterized by line terminals, a lower one of which has socket means for receiving a terminal engaging element at the lower end of a fuse cartridge, and the other of which has resiliently and downwardly pressed detent means, a fuse link reaching from the lower terminal engaging element of said cartridge, an upper terminal engaging element for said cartridge comprising a member fastened to the cartridge, a cap on the cartridge, means for fastening said fuse link to said cap, a lever pivoted on said cartridge, means on said lever on one side of the pivot engageable with said detent means, the lever on the opposite side of the pivot moving in the general direction of the length of the cartridge, and means connecting the end of said lever with said cap, whereby upon blowing of the fuse, said lever is moved to force said cap substantially endwise of the cartridge.

3. In a fuse cartridge, 0. terminal engaging element comprising a member fixed to the cartridge, a lever pivoted to said fixed member, said lever being formed as a fork to surround said cartridge, the ends of the fork being near the point of the center line of said cartridge, 9. cap

nals, a lower one of which has means forswinghas resiliently and downwardly p detent ingly receiving the lower terminal element of a fuse cartridge, and the other of which has resiliently and downwardly pressed detent means, a fuse link reaching from lower terminal engaging element and through said cartridge, an upper terminal engaging element for said cartridge comprising a member fastened to the cartridge, a cap on the cartridge, means for fastening said fuse link to said cal nd means articulating said fastened member and detent means and cap whereby upon blowing of the fuse, said cap is moved substantially endwise of the cartridge.

5. In apparatus characterized by line terminals, a lower one of which has means for swinglngly receiving the lower terminal engaging element of a fuse cartridge, and the other of which means, a fuse link reaching from lower terminal engaging element and passing through said cartridge, an upper terminal engaging element for said cartridge comprising a member fastened to the cartridge, a cap on the cartridge, means for fastening said fuse link to said cap, means articulating said fastened member and detent means and cap whereby upon blowing of the fuse, said cap is moved substantially endwise of the cartridge, and the configuration of the upper terminal engaging element is changed so that it clears from the detent means to permit rotation of the cartridge on the lower line terminal and away from the upper line terminal.

USS 

